Montenegro SGIGMCG: Green construction – improving gender equality

20 June 2016 13:32

“Green jobs in construction gives a significant chance for a higher inclusion and participation of women in this sector, which is traditionally seen as male dominated. They also provide an opportunity for new jobs and decent work.” said Ljiljana Zoric, chairperson of the SGIGMCG women network. Around 25 women union activists and students from the faculty of construction participated in a seminar held on 27 of May 2016, in Niksic Montenegro at the initiative of the Women Network of the Trade Union of Construction and Industry of Construction Materials of Montenegro, SGIGMCG.

The event focused on the opportunities and importance of introducing green jobs for women in construction and hwo to promote this within the country’s programme on decent work.

In addition, it defined the aims and strategy of the union in advocating and lobbying for support of a better and higher inclusion of women workers in green jobs in construction, that should be achieved particularly through training and vocational education programs to overcome the issues of lack of skills in this area of work. This would ultimately also lead to the change of stereotypes regarding the division of work for women and men and to an all-inclusive approach in the sector of construction, as stressed by Vladimir Krsmanovic, CTUM, Member of the EU Advisory committee of Montenegro on Professional Education.

Zoric presented the perspectives for women workers in green construction. Natasa Nikolic, BSc Architect from the Montenegrin Fund for Solidarity Housing Building presented practical examples of the application of green construction in Montenegro, good practices and challenges faced by those who work on its implementation. Svetlana Vuksanovic BSc Civil Engineering and senior adviser in the Directorate for Construction at the Ministry for sustainable development and tourism presented the approach of the Government of Montenegro towards green construction and the harmonization of the local legislation with the EU and efforts being made in implementing the principles of green construction in Montenegro.

The seminar concluded with a request of the SGIGMCG to the Ministry of sustainable development and tourism that representatives of the Trade Union of Construction and Industry of Construction Materials of Montenegro shall be included in the development of national strategies and action plans with regard to green construction and the classification of new professions and that the ministry should start up with the work on implementation of programmes for vocational and professional training in this sector.

This was the result of joint cooperation SGIGMCG/BWI within the regional programme of the BWI Swedish affiliates and the UtoU that among others aims at supporting Unions in providing decent work agenda inputs in policy discussions at national level.